Improvement in fare-boxes



V, B.v HALL. Fare-Box.

No. 216,952. Y; Patented July/1,1879.

ILFETRS. PHDTOQIYHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, |104 my improved fare-box.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE VAN' BUREN HALL, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FARE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2l6,952, dated July 1, 1879; application filed September 17, 1878.

To all 'whom 'it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, VAN BUREN HALL, of Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State ot' West Virginia, have invented a certain new and Improved Fare-Box; an'd I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a transverse vertical section of Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the side within the car.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

My invention has for its object to-improve the efficiency of the fare-boxes used on streetrailway cars, whereby the driver is enabled to separate good from bad or counterfeit fares, whether coin or tickets; to expose both to the view ofthe passengers within the car; to deposit the good and bad fares in separate compartments, and to examine the reverse side of all fares, so that should a small `coin fall b'chind a larger 011e or behind a ticket he can readily see it, or should the blank side of a ticket fall next the driver he can easily examine the opposite side without leaving his place.

To this end the invention consists, rst, in the combination, with a glass-retaining plate and the window or glass next the driver, of a movable trap and shelf arranged below the retaining-plate, whereby the bad fares may be intercepted and deposited apart from the good fares.

It further consists of a mirror arranged upon the movable trap, in combination with the glass-retaining plate and the front glass window.

It also consists in setting the front window within a recess of the box, by which the light of the lamp within the box shall fall on the side of the fares next the driver as well as in rear of the fares.

It also consists in the construction and cornbination of various parts, as I will presently describe.

In the accompanying drawings, A A Arepresent the casing of the fare-box, constructed in the usual or any preferred manner as to its general form, with a side compartment, B, for the lamp, and a narrow recess, O, on the opposite side to contain the levers and other mechanism for operating the retaining-plate and trap. D is the rear glass plate; E, the top opening, through which the fares are deposited in the box, 'and F a glass or metal plate, by which the fares are guided from the receiving-orifice to the retaining-plate.

Gis the front window, let into a recess, El, in the front of the box, so as to lie in a vertical plane about midway of the glass plate in the lamp-compartment.

J is the retaining-plate, composed of glass, and hung upon a cross-shaft, K, j ust under the lower end ofthe guide-plate F, as shown. The shaft has its bearings in the side walls of the box, one end entering the recess G, where itis secured to an operati ng-lever, L, which projects through the front of the box within reach ot the driver. A spring, M, placed beneath this lever holds the retaining-plate in an inclined position with its lower end in Contact with the lower end of the front plate, thus forming a compartment to receive and hold the fare for the inspection ot"V the driver from the front through the plate G, and for the inspection of the passengers from within the car through the retaining-plate and the rear plate, D.

N is a cross-shaft placed about midway of the box Y. some distance below the ledge O, formed by the recess for the front plate, and P is a platform or wing mounted upon this shaft, so as toswing up against the rear wall of the box, where it is held by a spring-catch, Q. It is a second wing or trap hung upon the shaft, so as to swing forward in an inclined position, with its upper edge resting against the ledge O. "One end of this shaftNextends within the side recess, C, where it carries an arm, to which the operating-rod S is attached, so as to project through the front of the box within the drivers reach. The under surface of the trap R is provided with a mirror, T, which, when the trap is swung open, can be seen by the driver.

U is the money-drawer, hinged at its lower edge to the lower part of the box, so as to be opened to the position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1.

The operationof the apparatus is asfollows:

The fares deposited in the box first fall into the compartment formed by the glass retaining plate and the front plate, so as to be seen by both driver and passengers, as above described. If upon inspection the driver finds the fares correct he presses down the springlever L, which swings the retaining-plate away from the front plate, and allows the fares to drop into the money-box below. The trap, of course, is norm ally open, and if a ticket should fall into the upper compartment with its blank side next the driver its reverse side will be reiiected in the mirror T, so that he can readily see it. Thev mirror also reflects the presence of any small coin which may fall into the compartment behind a ticket or larger coin. By this means the counting of fares is very greatly facilitated, while the position in which the fare is held enables the passengers to see itv from all parts of the ear, thereby rendering it exceedingly difcult for the driver to defraud his employer by arranging with a confederate to sit near a box, receive fares from passengers, and pretend to deposit them in the box.

Should counterfeit orv improper fares be placed in the box, they are readily detected by the driver, who thereupon pulls forward the trap by means of the rod S until its upper edge rests against the ledge 0, thus cutting` off connection with the money-box. He then releases the fare in the manner above described, letting it fall upon the trap, by which it is guided to the shelfP. The trap may then be swung open, thereby forming a separate compartment to contain bad fares, which are readily removed when the money-drawer is open by pressing back the spring-catch Q and letting the shelf drop down.- Thus the good and bad fares are separated and deposited into different receptacles.

The compartment for bad fares enables the drivers to identify counterfeit money if prosecution should be necessary, and makes them vigilant and watchful in taking fares.

By arranging the front glass plate within a recess of the box in the manner described, the light from the lamp is directed upon the side of the fares next the driver, as well as upon the rear side, so that both he and the passengers can see them Without difficulty.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new i's- 1. The combination, with the glass-retaining plate and front glass window, of a movable trap and shelf arranged below the retainingplate, for the purpose of intercepting bad fares and depositing them in a receptacle separate from the receptacle for good fares, substantially as described.

2. The front glass window, set within a recess in the-front of the box, and arranged with respect to the Window in the lamp-compartment, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The mirror T, arranged on the Linder side of the trap lt, in combination with the glassretaining plate and the front glass window, substantially as described, for the purpose specified. l

4. The combination of the hinged shelf P and trap R with the fare-box, to form a separate compartment for the reception of bad fares, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the front glass window, the glass-retaining plate, the trap carrying a mirror on its under side, and the hinged shelf P, in rear of the trap, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

VAN BUREN HALL.

Witnesses:

AMBRosE S. Listr, GEORGE Wrsn. 

